The US Army’s Directed Energy Weapons Program Still Has a Long Way to Go
Story by Brandon J. Weichert • 1h
The “Golden Dome” cannot rely upon long-range continental defenses; it will need short- and medium-range defenses as a backup. This is where the Army’s DE M-SHORAD system could come in.
America’s military has fallen behind in several key areas when compared to its great power rivals. Among those areas are weapons systems like hypersonic missiles and directed-energy weapons (DEWs). Interestingly, it is the United States Army which claims to have made the most progress on hypersonic weapons—with the so-called “Dark Eagle” project—and DEWs.
In the specific case of the Army’s DEWs, the Army claims their Directed Energy Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense System (DE M-SHORAD) is fully matured and capable of being integrated into the larger Golden Dome missile defense network that the Trump administration is developing. Army leaders have yet to disclose any official documents explicitly outlining how the DE M-SHORAD, which is a tactical and short-range system, will play into the Golden Dome, which is envisioned as a longer-range and more comprehensive missile defense system.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-us-army-s-directed-energy-weapons-program-still-has-a-long-way-to-go/ar-AA1KrCuc?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=689c8c18bfe5442995a9bd65581f85a3&ei=21
